Leon Edwards

Leon Edwards

Personal Information

Full Name Leon Aaron Edwards
Date of Birth August 25, 1991
Age 31 Years
Nationality British
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 170 lb (77 kg)
Nickname Rocky
Leon Edwards: A Brief Biography

Leon Aaron Edwards is an English mixed martial artist who competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and holds the title of UFC Welterweight Champion. He started his professional career in 2011 and was previously associated with BAMMA, where he held the title of BAMMA Welterweight Champion. Currently, he is ranked #4 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.


UFC 278: Usman v Edwards 2
UFC 278: Usman v Edwards 2

Latest News Update for Leon Edwards


Leon Edwards successfully defended his UFC Welterweight title against Kamaru Usman at UFC 286, on 18th March 2023. Edwards won the bout via a majority decision.


UFC 286: Edwards v Usman 3
UFC 286: Edwards v Usman 3



Leon Edwards Facts


Birth PlaceKingston, Jamaica
Star SignVirgo
Net Worth (2023)$1.5 Million
Last Fight Earnings$350,000
Age31
MMA Debut2011
MMA Record21-3-0 (1NC)
AchievementsUFC Welterweight Champion
ChildrenJason Edwards
EndorsementsIconic Menswear, Monster Energy, Venum


Early Life and Career


Leon Aaron Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and spent his childhood living in a one-room house with his parents and brother. The area he grew up in was affected by high levels of crime, and his father was involved in activities that he considered questionable. When Edwards was nine years old, he moved to the Aston area of Birmingham, England. Unfortunately, when he was thirteen years old, his father was shot and killed in a nightclub in London. This tragedy led Edwards to become involved in criminal activity such as drug dealing, street fighting, and carrying a knife, along with his social circle. However, when he was 17 years old, his mother convinced him to join an MMA club, which helped him turn his life around.


Leon Edwards began his professional fighting career in 2010 as an amateur in Bushido Challenge 2 - A New Dawn, where he won his first fight against Carl Booth via Armbar submission in round two. He then signed with Fight UK MMA, winning his debut fight against Damian Zlotnicki via technical knockout in the first round. After two more fights with Fight UK MMA, he had a record of 2-1. He then won a decision against Craig White at Strength and Honor 14. Edwards then joined BAMMA, where he had an undefeated record of 5-0, winning the welterweight championship against Wayne Murrie and successfully defending it once against Shaun Taylor before joining the UFC.


Leon Edwards' Career in the UFC


Leon Edwards made his UFC debut on November 8, 2014, against Cláudio Silva but was defeated by a split decision.


He bounced back with a KO win over Seth Baczynski, earning him a Performance of the Night bonus and one of the sixth-fastest knockouts in UFC history. He went on to win fights against Pawel Pawlak, Dominic Waters, Albert Tumenov, Vicente Luque, Bryan Barberena, and Peter Sobotta. Edwards faced future UFC champion Kamaru Usman in 2015 but lost by a unanimous decision. In 2019, he won a split decision victory over Gunnar Nelson but was involved in a backstage altercation with Jorge Masvidal after the fight. He then won a unanimous decision against Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC on ESPN 4 in 2019.


Edwards was scheduled to face Tyron Woodley in March 2020, but the fight was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. He was later scheduled to fight Khamzat Chimaev three times, but the bouts were canceled due to COVID-19-related issues. He then faced Belal Muhammad in March 2021, but the fight was declared a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke. Edwards ultimately defeated Nate Diaz via a unanimous decision in June 2021 at UFC 263. A scheduled bout against Jorge Masvidal in December 2021 was scrapped due to Masvidal's injury.


UFC Welterweight Champion


Leon Edwards had a rematch against Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight Championship on August 20, 2022, at UFC 278, which he won via knockout in the fifth round, claiming the Welterweight title and earning the Performance of the Night award. Edwards vs. Usman 3 has been scheduled to take place at UFC 286 on 18th March 2023.


On March 18, 2023, Leon Edwards successfully defended his belt against Kamaru Usman to remain the undisputed UFC Welterweight champion. He won the fight via a majority decision.


UFC 286: Edwards v Usman 3
UFC 286: Edwards v Usman 3


Leon Edwards' Record


ResultRecordOpponentMethodEventDate
Win21-3 (1)Kamaru UsmanDecision (majority)UFC 28618 March 2023
Win20–3 (1)Kamaru UsmanKO (head kick)UFC 27820 August 2022
Win19–3 (1)Nate DiazDecision (unanimous)UFC 26312 June 2021
NC18–3 (1)Belal MuhammadNC (accidental eye poke)UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Muhammad13 March 2021
Win18–3Rafael dos AnjosDecision (unanimous)UFC on ESPN: dos Anjos vs. Edwards20 July 2019
Win17–3Gunnar NelsonDecision (split)UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal16 March 2019
Win16–3Donald CerroneDecision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Cowboy vs. Edwards23 June 2018
Win15–3Peter SobottaTKO (punches)UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov17 March 2018
Win14–3Bryan BarberenaDecision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Struve2 September 2017
Win13–3Vicente LuqueDecision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Manuwa vs. Anderson18 March 2017
Win12–3Albert TumenovSubmission (rear-naked choke)UFC 2048 October 2016
Win11–3Dominic WatersDecision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski8 May 2016
Loss10–3Kamaru UsmanDecision (unanimous)UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cowboy 219 December 2015
Win10–2Pawel PawlakDecision (unanimous)UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites18 July 2015
Win9–2Seth BaczynskiKO (punches)UFC Fight Night: Gonzaga vs. Cro Cop 211 April 2015
Loss8–2Cláudio SilvaDecision (split)UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Saint Preux8 November 2014
Win8–1Shaun TaylorKO (punch)BAMMA 1613 September 2014
Win7–1Wayne MurrieSubmission (rear-naked choke)BAMMA 155 May 2014
Win6–1Wendle LewisKO (punches)BAMMA 1414 December 2013
Win5–1Adam BoussifSubmission (arm-triangle choke)BAMMA 1313 September 2013
Win4–1Jonathan BiltonTKO (knees)BAMMA 111 December 2012
Win3–1Craig WhiteTechnical DecisionSAH 14: Strength And Honour 143 November 2012
Loss2–1Delroy McDowellDQ (illegal knee)Fight UK MMA: Fight UK 625 February 2012
Win2–0Pawel ZwiefkaDecision (unanimous)Fight UK MMA: Fight UK 519 November 2011
Win1–0Damian ZlotnickiTKO (punches)Fight UK MMA: Fight UK 45 June 2011



Leon Edwards' Most Popular Fights

Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 2


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Cowboy Cerrone vs. Leon Edwards


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Kamaru Usman vs. Leon Edwards 1


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FAQs on Leon Edwards


What is Leon Edwards’ MMA record?

Leon Edwards holds a professional MMA record of 21 wins and 3 losses.


How much did Leon Edwards earn in his last fight?

In his last fight against Kamaru Usman, Leon Edwards earned $350,000.


What is Leon Edwards’ Net Worth?

Leon Edwards has an estimated net worth of $1.5 Million.



Last Updated On 19th March 2023

Leon Edwards News

UFC champion Leon Edwards bemoans lost opportunity for revenge against nemesis Jorge Masvidal
UFC champion Leon Edwards bemoans lost opportunity for revenge against nemesis Jorge Masvidal
Ali Abdelaziz has an opponent in mind for Leon Edwards for an Abu Dhabi showdown 
Ali Abdelaziz has an opponent in mind for Leon Edwards for an Abu Dhabi showdown 
Who is Belal Muhammad fighting next? UFC welterweight contender names opponent and location for upcoming fight
Who is Belal Muhammad fighting next? UFC welterweight contender names opponent and location for upcoming fight
Nate Diaz showers Leon Edwards with praise, wants him to remain welterweight champion
Nate Diaz showers Leon Edwards with praise, wants him to remain welterweight champion
Last Modified May 30, 2023 02:17 IST